Gate: Thus the world changed
by Brone Greyclaw
Summary: The eyes of the world were on Japan. The eyes of Japan were on The Gate. On the other side, there were already heroes, celebrities, taking action and drawing notice. But what other powers could be in play? To whom could it fall to deal with them? How could the world, by what happens in the 'Special Area,' be changing?
1. Departing Ginza

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 1

The gate dominated the Ginza district of Tokyo. The sudden appearance of the gate in the middle of an intersection would naturally change the way things worked. Saying it dominated the district would suggest that it was somehow a massive and imposing structure compared to the buildings around it, but that is not the case. While it was bigger than a house, the structure of the gate was not very imposing.

The gate dominated Ginza because of the changes that it had brought about. The presence of the gate itself, in the middle of an intersection, would naturally change things. Then there was the concealing and protective dome that had been built over it. Around the dome a security perimeter had been established, to keep out the curious or potential trouble makers, and to help contain any nasty surprises that may appear from the other side. All the traffic for the district had to be shifted to account for the changes brought about.

With the Japanese Self Defense Force holding the gate and deploying through it there was a whole new kind of traffic through the district. Troops, and their logistical support traveled through Ginza on the way to another world. In addition to the expected needs of the JSDF personnel, more shipments needed to be made through the district, and on through the gate, in the form of trade goods. Most of the common, daily living items sent to the other world were for the forward area PX. Additionally there were specialty items to be used as gifts and bribes for the leaders and other persons of importance in lands beyond the gate.

The government had taken control of the area around the gate, including the buildings that towered over it. Staging areas had been set up so there would be places to organize shipments to the other world. Offices and apartments were used to house personnel, and as work places where officers and their staff could manage the management of the gate. Stores became storage space. A third of the total strength of the JSDF was deployed through the gate. Another third was posted in Ginza, mostly in support of their fellows on the other world.

The gate dominated Ginza. The gate, the security zone, and the support zone had all but reshaping the district. Ginza, once the home of the silver mint of the Empire of Japan, was once more a fountain from which riches were starting to flow. Outside the support zone for the gate was a whole new commercial zone. The government wasn't run by total fools. In order to maintain the deployment through the gate they needed the support of the people of Japan. While common goods were being sent to the other world to wow and seduce the people there, select items were being brought back to be made available to the citizens at home.

In the commercial zone there were four galleries set up to showcase the art and artifacts from the other world. Displays included samples of the craftsmanship and enlarged photographs of the people, carefully chosen to send the right messages to the Japanese people. Those samples and images had the designers and producers of Japan in high gear. The shops in the gate commercial zone were quickly filling up with merchandise inspired by life beyond the gate.

Not as visible as the shops and galleries were the other places who's occupants were focused on the gate and the world on the other side. Every major government on Earth was renting space as close to the gate as they could manage. Intelligence assets were determined to learn everything they could. Each time the doors of the dome were opened eager eyes were looking, watching. When special trucks were used to carry aircraft through the gate in slow progressions, everything was witnessed by agents with fancy, specialized equipment, and every detail was documented for their reports.

Sometimes cheek to jowl with the government agents, corporate assets performed the same work. Every major company was eager to get their share of the pie. Everybody wanted to profit from what might come through the gate. JSDF personnel could hardly buy their own drinks in the bars close to the gate, so eager were the agents to pump them for information and to suck up in hopes of making some kind of deal.

XxX

Staff Sergeant Yamada Hito had been staging in Ginza for almost three weeks before he was finally told to head for the gate. His company was being sent through to help with the exploration of the other world. He knew it was all politics. The JSDF was searching for resources to exploit. The other nations of Earth were looking for a way to get a share of whatever there was on the other side of the gate.

The United States and other ally nations understood how thinly stretched the Japanese Self Defence Force was. One major quake or typhoon and the JSDF would have to suspend any operations in the 'Special Area,' concentrating on just holding the gate, and try to deal with the problems at home. By accepting foreign support, with some side bonuses to grease the works, the Japanese government was able to continue with operations without sacrificing the safety of its citizens.

Hito was going through the gate with the Joint Forces Exploration Division. His government was letting it happen to pacify foreign powers and getting additional logistic support in exchange. He tried to not let the truth of the situation get him down.

The staff sergeant was what some people would call a gear head. He loved fast cars and powerful engines. As he waited for his turn to pass through the gate he was seated with a small grin at the wheel of a brand new vehicle. The Coyote was a new design of light, wheeled, fast attack vehicle with a multi-fuel powerplant. Produced in the United States, so its steering wheel was on the wrong side, it could run on anything from jet fuel to coal oil, and looked like a cross between a dune buggy and a Humvee. Hito was quietly wishing for an opportunity to open it up and seeing what it could really do.

He kept his attention focused on what lay ahead, and on the vehicle he was driving, to keep from thinking too much about the people riding along with him. He didn't mind the woman in the back seat. Private First Class Sato Cho was a member of the SDF, a communications specialist, and more than capable of operating the on board radio equipment. Next to her was an infantryman, PFC Ueda Goro, also a member of the JSDF. What was threatening to get under Hito's skin was the man sitting right beside him. A foreigner, and a civilian at that, was an American 'specialist' that was supposed to be some kind of researcher.

When Hito had discovered that he was being assigned to babysit the civilian he had gone to his commander to ask why. The captain simply told him it was his reward for not keeping his mouth shut when he went out drinking. The Staff Sergeant understood that somebody was going to get the job, and it was his as a form of punishment for having been too critical about politicians playing games with soldiers lives.

As he got the signal to start forward, Staff Sergeant Yamada Hito felt himself smile just a little bit more, eager to see what the future held for his new ride. There was a whole other world on the other side of the gate. The 'Special Area' had roads he had never driven on that would take him over hills he had never seen before, to show him wonders he had only dreamed of.


	2. Rolling Out

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 2

In spite of the pre-mission briefings, passing through the gate for the first time was a surprising experience. Visually, it was the same as going thought a long, dark tunnel. Within that darkness, there was a point when it was obvious that the rules of nature were being challenged. There was a time, in the middle of the transition from one world to the next, that in spite of all the vehicle lights and stationary lamps along the passage, that visibility was reduced to only a few meters, ending abruptly in darkness in all directions.

There was a sense of wrongness that everybody experienced at the midway point. Heavily E.M. shielded cables were needed to communicate though the gate. While passing through the mid point, some people reported hearing voices, and everybody felt a moment of vertigo. It was hard to judge up from down, or even a direction of travel for the brief time it took to pass through the mid-pint of the gate. And then the dense darkness fell away and things started to returned to normal.

Coming out of the gate on the other side, Hito was relieved to see blue sky above him. He might have paused to admire the return to a sense of normal perceptions if it wasn't for the ground guides waving him on and yelling out to keep moving. The sharp buzzing, as if some kind of giant insect was flying overhead, made him flinch. Then he heard the loud report of a shotgun, and he really flinched. Before he could look for an explanation for the shot fired, bits of radio controlled drone fell to the ground beside the convoy ahead of him.

The shotgun went off twice more before that convoy finished passing through the gate. Staff Sergeant Yamada maneuvered the Coyote as he was directed by the ground guides. The convoy was directed to the same area, and the vehicles were being parked, staged, so they would be mission ready in the least amount of time.

Once the long line of vehicles was parked, it was time for everybody to gather for instructions. Everybody had to be accounted for, and screened to make sure they were who they were supposed to be. Once that section of mission security was satisfied, everybody was directed to the transient personnel quarters. The first day for the staff sergeant on a whole new world was going to be spent going in circles to satisfy bureaucrats that everything was counted, cataloged, and sorted out.

x

The staging area at Alnus Hill was a small city that surrounded the gate. Prefabricated structures and newer, hard built walls had been raised up to shelter the personnel and store materials. As new permanent buildings had been constructed the early structures had been re-purposed, or just removed to make room for more new buildings. Paved training areas, motor pools, and other areas were all enclosed within the defensive perimeter. Modern engineering had been turned to the task of making an old fashion fortress.

Staff Sergeant Yamada stood with the rest of the Special Expedition Company as the alien sunlight started to wash away the alien stars and light the sky with dawn. Standard issue coffee was a commonly suffered insult for soldiers forced to start their days before dawn. Hito wondered how long he would would have to depend on the stuff as the company commander went over the last minute updates to their mission.

The company was going to be going south-west to investigate local ocean ports, and to explore a large peninsula of land. The standing mission was to search for exploitable resources. The other part of the mission was to look for allies in the region.

The Empire had been the greatest military power in the alien world for a long time. With the base at Alnus Hill, the SDF had found itself in position to threaten all of the Empire's major trade routes between it's Eastern and Western regions. Also, as with any long reaching empire, there was bound to be people unhappy at answering to a distant, conquering throne. If the SDF could find enough local support, like it had with the Kingdom of Elbe, it could force a treaty with Empire without having to stage a full occupation campaign.

Of less importance to the politicians back home was the opportunity to study the alien world. Pharmaceutical companies were always looking for new sources of drugs. The idea that there were near immortal people implied that there must be a way to support their longevity that could be discovered, and developed for marketing. Corporations had the money to 'encourage' politicians to support 'scientific research.'

Staff Seargent Yamada's team was not the only one with a research specialist attached to it. While not every team had a civilian, Hito took some comfort in knowing he had not been given the worst baggage to deal with. One of the teams, from Fourth squad, had been burdened with a young woman named No Maho Hana, an 'imbedded journalist.' At least she was Japanese.

With a small shake of his head, Hito returned his focus to the mission briefing. The teams were being issued the latest maps and were told of the most up to date known locations of hostile forces. They were about to set out into a world that would see them as aliens, but that didn't mean that had to be left ignorant about the world of the 'Special Area.'

x

Staff Sergeant Yamada Hito took a moment to look at the final composition of his team and their equipment for the mission ahead. In addition to the Coyote, which was built to seat four men, his team also had a multi-fuel power plant equipped light truck, called a Mule. The Mule was a two-seat truck with a covered cargo bed, with a linked power train to a matching trailer. What the Coyote lacked in cargo capacity the Mule more than made up for. Both vehicles had removable light armoring and could be left open to the air, or enclosed from the environment. In contrast to most of the Hand-Me-Down equipment used by the JSDF, the Coyote and the Mule were brand new and top of the line. They had been provided as a part of the deal for the Joint Forces Exploration Division. The manufacturer was hoping to get customers out of the deal.

The Coyote had enough room for four adults and their typical field gear. The Mule could seat two in the cab comfortable,or three tightly in an emergency, and transport enough gear for a platoon. The trailer doubled the cargo capacity, and because it was linked to the power train of the Muel, it made the whole assembly into a six-wheel-drive vehicle. The staff sergeant was confident his team had everything the could possible need. That was why he wanted to know what a couple of privates where doing trying to add more baggage to their load.

The light trailer that the logistics guys and the motor pool staff had wanted to hook to the Coyote just put Hito's teeth on edge. Especially when he found out that it was already loaded with equipment for the civilian on his team. It was bad enough he was being told to babysit a researcher, giving up a seat a proper soldier could have occupied. It just didn't seem right to burden a fast, agile, tactical vehicle with a trailer full of cargo.

"Hook that thing to the Mule," The staff sergeant told the two men that had pulled the trailer over to the Coyote. "If it has to come along, I don't want it slowing me down if anything goes wrong."

"I'm sorry, Sergeant," One of the two privates said with a small bow of his head. "But orders say it has to be accessible to the research specialist."

"We'll see about that," Hito grumbled as he turned to where his team stood. The civilian was easy to spot in the morning sunlight. He was at least fifteen centimeters taller than anybody else in the area, dressed in a different pattern of camouflage, and while he was loaded with gear like everybody else, it was all all just a little off from basic issue in little ways. The staff sergeant suspected it had all come from civilian markets, and it looked to be of better quality than his own bulk purchased and government issued gear.

"Mister Wright," He called out to the man in question. "I would like to have a word with you." He had called out in the language of the 'Special Area,' because he trusted it more than his broken English. And he didn't trust the American's Japanese.

"Yes Sergeant," Mr Wright replied in the same language even as he trotted over.

The staff sergeant had to admit that he approved of how the civilian answered up when called and follow directions. He may not want to have a civilian on his team, but at lease he got one that seemed to know how to listen. Some of the civilians acted like they should be in charge, or should be given special treatment. One of the other teams was already having trouble because their 'research specialist' had decided to sleep in.

"Mr. Wright," Hito said in a normal tone of voice once the civilian was in front of him. "I understand you have some additional equipment for this mission." He gestured to the light trailer and its tarp covered cargo.

"Yes, Staff Sergeant," Markus Wright answered with a nod. "I was told my requests had been approved before we left Ginza. Do you want me to double check the load out?"

"I don't think that's necessary right now," Hito replied. "I just wanted to know if there was any reason it couldn't be hitched to the Mule and it's trailer instead of dragging behind the Coyote?"

"No reasons that I know of," he answered. "It's not like I'll be trying to get something when were in motion, and if we're not with the Mule when we stop somewhere I think things will be too messed up to be worrying about sample cases and taking pictures."

"Fair enough," The staff sergeant gave a nod before turning back to the pair of privates and switching back to Japanese. He gave them a curt hand gesture and told them what to do with the light trailer.

With the material logistics handled Staff Sergeant Yamada was free to turn his attention to the personnel of his team. With the addition of the Mule he had gained a fifth member. Mori Yuji was a corporal. All of the teams had unoccupied seats intentionally. That way there was room for the teams to pick up local guides. In the mission briefings the staff sergeant had learned that there were some team already in the field that were more locals than JSDF. For this reason the second seat in the truck was left open, so Hito moved PFC Ueda to the second vehicle. It would be more comfortable for him there, and opened up a little room in the Coyote. He was hoping to avoid taking on any of the locals, but if he must, he would deal with it when the time came.

With his personnel seen to, and the logistic issues settled, Staff Sergeant Yamada settled into the driver's seat of his Coyote. He ran through the operating check-list one more time, just to make sure he and the Coyote were ready to roll. Finally the order was given and all the vehicles started up their engines. It was time to get the show on the road.


	3. Supper at the Neighbors

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 3

Staff Sergeant Yamada Hito felt a sense of satisfaction to finally be on the open road. Weeks spent in the Ginza staging area had been filled with crash language courses for the Special Area, including reading, writing, and speaking it. There were also some classes about the political environment, know casts, and about the diversity of sentient species. As an added safety, there was even a class about dealing with dragons.

Of course everybody had to be told how to behave. Slavery was an accepted practice in the world beyond the gate. Expedition personnel were expressly forbidden from participating in the practice. It was made clear that international laws regarding human trafficking and exploitation of minors were still in effect and transgressors would be prosecuted with prejudice.

A part of the pre-deployment briefing had included tactical awareness. The Coyote, for example, with a full fuel tank and some spare gas cans, could travel a thousand kilometers, and could make the trip in about half a day, if terrain, weather, and indigenous people and/or monsters didn't get in the way. This level of mobility gave the JSDF and their allies an incredible tactical advantage. It was one that the high command had decided early on to protect as much as possible. For this reason, all ground vehicles were instructed to keep their speed below forty kph except in a dire emergency, and for routine operations, twenty kph was the encouraged norm. If it became necessary to launch an attack on the empire's capitol, having a line of tanks advancing at nearly a hundred kph would completely surprise and horrify the enemy.

Even with all the restrictions in place, Staff Sergeant Yamada felt a measure of satisfaction when he was finally allowed to drive his Coyote through the last check point out of the Alnus Hill occupation zone. Letting the Coyote roll along at an idle as a part of a convoy was not very exciting. He would have to shift into the lowest gear if he ever wanted to travel at a pace anybody not mounted could keep up with for more than a short distance. But at least the mission was finally in motion.

The staff sergeant was not the only one happy to finally have the mission progressing forward. Beside him, the civilian already had a laptop open in front of him. The computer was a part of a whole setup. It was attached to the dash by a custom mounting, and linked to some kind of camera ball on the top of a mast strapped to the back bumper. Hito was a gear head and not a tech geek, but looking over at the computer monitor, he had to admit that he was impressed with how stable the high resolution images were coming out.

"So what is all that for?" The staff sergeant asked after only an hour of slow driving. "Everything this close to the gate has been photographed and video taped already."

"Broad spectrum viewing," The answer came back. Mark was splitting his attention between the monitor in front of him and the world slowly passing by around him. "I'm not expecting to see anything this close to the hill, but I want to get a good baseline in my mind for later."

"What do you mean?"

"If you take strips of fabric and paint it to look like a bush you can hide things pretty quickly from the human eye. Especially if what you are hiding is parked among some bushes to begin with," Mark explained.

"Camouflage," The staff sergeant nodded. "I'm with you."

"But my cameras can see into the infra red and ultraviolet range," Mark went on. "And the images on the screen puts it all into what human eyes can see. Suddenly that home made camouflage stands out and whatever someone was trying to hide becomes impossible to miss."

"That could be handy," Hito nodded again. "But it can't really be that simple."

"For us, for modern Earth military forces, it's not," Mark agreed. "But we have spent a lot of time learning how to detect things, as well as how to hide them. For the people here, dressing in dark clothes at night and not carrying a lantern is the next best thing to being invisible."

"But with our night vision gear it wouldn't do them hardly any good at all," Hito followed, understanding the point. "So you are watching where you expect to see nothing, so you will notice when there is something." He nodded slightly in approval at the idea.

"Exactly," Mark nodded.

Staff Sergeant Yamada spent the next few hours going over the information he had just been given. He kept his attention on what he was doing, but let the conversation replay in the back of his mind. Grudgingly, he had to admit to himself that there might be some benefit to having to babysit a civilian after all.

x

On the first day on the road between Alnus Hill the convoy had stopped at a place for the night that was already set up for traveling JSDF personnel. It was just another small hill, but some sandbags had been piled up enough to suggest defensive positions. A couple of infantrymen and a handful of locals watched over the hill, a water tank on a trailer, and pair of GP medium tents and a latrine shack. Night number two was spent at a location that was almost identical in composition. Night three had been at Waypoint-3

Waypoint-3 was one of, surprise, two carefully chosen locations. Waypoint-1 was actually in the city of Italica. Waypoint-2 and -3 were to the east and west of Alnus Hill respectively.

Located three days from the gate at the tactical doctrine's slow travel rate, Waypoint-3 was four hundred and thirty five kilometers from Alnus Hill. There were several factors for deciding on the location for the post. It was adjacent to one of the local trails that passed for a dirt road in the 'Special Area.' There was a supply of usable water at the location, in the form of an old, hand dug well. And of course with those things going for it, there were local inhabitants at the site.

Once upon a time, some forgotten group had built a fort and dug a well on a rise in the land, giving them a clear view of the surrounding territory. Whomever had built the fort, it had eventually been abandoned. The well was now located in a ring of piled stones that had once been the walls of the fort. The rest of the fort had been looted and re-purposed. Beside the ruins of the fort a farmstead had grown up. The modest houses and the communal barn had all been built using some of the stones that had once been a part of the fort.

The farmstead was the home of four, semi reptilian, demi-human families. They had heard about the Arunusu living community and the Men in Green, so they had welcomed the JSDF with open arms. When the families had heard the plans for a semi-permanent post being located at their humble farmstead they had felt honored. They were also hoping to get easy access to some of the things that could only be had from the Arunusu community's PX.

Waypoint-3 was a fuel and water station for the most part. Some heavy equipment and additional manpower had visited the location for a few days to help get everything set up. Setting up had included creating a wide, level space for a fuel truck to park where it could be accessed by vehicles looking to fill their tanks. A pump, water tower, and distillation station was assembled on sight to make sure their would be a supply of clean drinking water. A pair of tents were set up so the personnel assigned to the post, and any visitors would have a place to sleep. Several walls made of sand bags had been stacked up around a generator so the whole post would have electricity without the noise abusing everybody's ears, or heard five kilometers away. Of course all of this was put in the shade of camouflage netting. If any dragon riders from the empire, or anywhere else, flew overhead, all they would see was the same old ruins and farmstead, and a whole lot of foliage and some new roads around the area.

The families of the farmstead very quickly benefited from the JSDF post. As long as the people and equipment were already there to work, it was only a little extra time and effort to run some tough hose and wiring. The modest homes were suddenly blessed with working water taps and electric lighting. In exchange for the utilities and for sharing some of their rations with the locals, the JSDF post had all of their meals cooked and served, and they didn't even have to wash their own dishes or clothes.

When the multinational exploration company caravan arrived at Waypoint-3, along with a personnel rotation and resupply for the post, it was all the excuse that was needed for a party. The locals cooked up a large meal that was a mix of rations and home grown foods. Modern Earth music and saurian (lizard people) instrument plying and singing alternated back and forth, and sometimes mixed together, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Not even Staff Sergeant Yamada was immune to the warm and welcoming environment. He allowed himself to take some pictures with his cell phone. When he sacked out for the night he imagined that the pictures would be fun to have printed out and put up on his wall when he got home from the mission.


	4. Company Disburses

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 4

It was likely the livestock trucks that had brought them out. Protestors were migrating into the Ginza district and threatening to clog the main traffic route to and from the gate. Mostly college aged people, they had come to wave signs and express their political opinions and fears. Some were angry that the gate was being kept under government control. Others worried that the gate was a danger and should be sealed. People were expressing their concerns, real or imagined, with signs, slogans, and various forms of demonstrations.

For the police tasked with keeping the traffic routes open, it was a stressful time. Trying to move a batch of protestors that had locked themselves together before sitting in the street was difficult enough. The police had to do their job while keeping an eye out for the brightly colored sign about animal rights or some other concern that could suddenly become a weapon if things turned ugly.

For the other, special observers, at ground level and above, there were more discreet things to be on the look-out for. Security around the gate was an evolving thing. Just like how challenges to the security around the gate could be dynamic and unpredictable. The fences and concrete barriers had been set up first, and for many would have been seen as enough to keep the site secure. The dome had come later. Some protested that the dome was to hide unethical government actions, but in truth it was to help keep unauthorized parties from sending drones through the gate.

Each level of security presented new challenges to be overcome by the curious. Traffic through the gate was slowly increasing, meaning that the dome was open more often. When larger resource moments were underway, like a caravan of trucks, the dome would be opened for a prolonged period of time, once more inviting the determined among the curious parties to send their spying equipment through. To help thwart the unauthorized small aircraft traffic, fine nets had be spread out from the dome to the security fences. High enough to let ground traffic through, the curious parties were faced with a new challenge to overcome.

The security specialists of Japan had earned the respect of their peers, in both the private and government sectors. That respect was expressed in time, money, and creative effort being spent to overcome Japan's security measures around the gate.

x

Waypoint-3 had marked an important stage in the mission. It was at that point in the mission that the company was going to disperse. The company had four platoons. Each platoon had four squads. Each squad was split into two teams.

Alpha Company had the biggest trucks and the most egg-heads. For them Waypoint-3 was going to be their operations base. The teams would go out from there and be back most nights. They were going to be doing the kind of scientific studies that scientists loved to get excited over. It was a part of the positive image that the politicians wanted to put forward for the masses. Graduate students would be drooling all over themselvs for a chance to travel through the gate to do field research. That meant more money could be earned from the exploration of the 'Special Area,' and just maybe some real scientific advancement.

Among the other things going on, the settlements at Waypoints -2 an -3 were going to be used for agricultural research. The farmers at each location were going to be paid to grow crops from Earth seeds. Samples of native plants had already been sent back through the gate of exhaustive testing, down to the DNA level. Now well known Earth plants were going to be grown in the 'Special Area' to see how quickly the differences between the them and their native counterparts might be eliminated. There was the question of if there was something in the environment that could cause spontanious changed, mutations or adaptations, that needed to be identified.

X

The other three companies were splintering, with their expedition teams spreading out in almost every direction. Joint Forces Exploration Division, Charlie Company, Third Squad, Second Team (C-3-2) was Staff Sergeant Yamada's command. Third and Fourth Squads moved out together and splint up after the first day, after crossing a river via a long, narrow bridge. Third Squad divided into teams a day after that and started south.

Forty kilometers is a long distance for a human to travel on foot in a single day. If they are well rested, and in good health and good physical condition, it can be done safely. For a military vehicle plodding along at idling speeds, forty kilometers can be traveled in just two hours or so. For the exploration team, two days of slow travel out from Waypoint-3, with frequent stops to answer the calls of nature, and for their civilian to do whatever things he felt he needed to do, still put them six hundred kilometers west and south, as the crow flies, or eight hundred kilometers by road, from Alnus Hill.

In spite of their distance from any other JSDF past recons, Staff Sergeant Yamada's team had maps better than any the locals had ever seen. One of the first things the expedition forces did was get the best areal images they could and sent them to he cartographers. Even before any planes or helicopters had been sent through the gate, balloons, and even kites had been used to get high altitude photographs of the landscape. The staff sergeant's team was going to doing some of the same on their journey.

Back on Earth there were plenty of satellites in orbit to help everybody communicate long distance. On the new world of the 'Special Area' the problem was being address once more by balloons. Helium balloons on kilometers long tethers were being used to get communications equipment high enough to keep everybody connected. Keeping the balloons tethered meant their placement was predictable and controlled, to a degree. The balloons and their payloads were so high up that the naked eye could never see more than a little reflected light off of them at dawn or dusk. If something went wrong, the balloons could be pulled down for servicing, or to be packed up and relocated.

Smaller communication balloons were provided to the expedition teams for when they were too far away to radio back without them. The Waypoint stations were also anchor points for balloons in the communication network. Until there was enough political stability and developed infrastructural in the 'Special Area' to support real satellite launching and monitoring, the balloon network would have to do.

While the contents of the signal traffic was carefully screened, the statistical data of the network traffic was being diligently collected. The whole system was being produced for the JSDF by companies working together back in Japan, who were looking forward to selling the technology to telecommunication outlets all over the Earth.

Staff Sergeant Yamada only knew a little about all that going on to keep everybody in contact with each other. As a gear head, he was more interested in reading the service manual for the Coyote and poking around under the hood than in pushin buttons and flipping switches. Even if all of the technojargon got confusing after a while, as a good team leader he tried to keep a basic working understand of what everybody was doing, and why.

It was at the end of the fourth day of the journey, the first night after Waypoint-3 that the staff sergeant got a little surprise thrown his way. Third Squad had just found a good place to set camp for the night. Once the daily report was prepared and radioed in to base, including their planed location for the night, the Staff Sergeant Yamada looked around to see where to put up the tent. He caught sight of his civilian researcher digging a hole, shoveling the dirt onto a section of tarp. Curious, he walked over.

"Digging up soil samples?" Hito asked as he got close. Everybody had made sure to get into the habit of talking in the local laguage of the 'Special Area.' It was a way for everybody to build proficancy. It was also a way to help ease communication in a multinational company.

"That too," Mark replied in the same laguage without looking up from what he was doing. He already had a ditch about thirty centimeters wide and a meter long, and was working on making it deeper. "But if we're stopping for the night we're going to want a latrine."

That made the staff sergeant blink. They were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by knee high grass and occasional bushes, following travelling on a road that was little more than a wide dirt path. If he had felt a need to take a crap, he had been planning on just going behind the closest bush or large rock and dropping his pants for a squat. The females in the unit could do the same. Hell, even puting up a tent was something he considered an option if the weather was good.

"Why bother?" He asked. As a non-commissioned officer he had the training to know about the right way to set up a camp. Things like making sure any fires are kept contained and safely away from equipment, and the latrines kept away from the water supply. But even with that knowlege, the idea of going through all that work for just an overnight rest seemed overkill.

"Biological impact, and just good habits. I need to do the soil sampling, and as long as I am digging a hole, I figured I should make it count. In the morning I will throw some lye over everything in the hole and bury it."

"And you brought lye with you?" Yamada questioned.

"Standard field equipment," Mark nodded. "Useful for some chemical tests, making soaps, preserving foods, and cleaning up bio-matter."

"You seem really prepared for just some random researcher," Hito observed.

"You were told during our initial briefings that I was your team medic," Mark reminded the career soldier. "That is a job I take seriously."

"I can appreciate that. And if anybody gets hurt we'll be glad you do, but... Please don't take this the wrong way, but you're some kind of scientist aren't you?"

"Actually I am a trauma nurse," Mark looked up with a crooked grin. "I was recruited by the powers that be because I have a high level of education that covers things like basic sciences, psychology, sociology, and folklore." He return to his work on the hole.

"And they hired you to come out here to look for rocks?" Hito questioned in disbelief.

"I'm here to look for special rocks." Mark reminded him. "And it would help if I could understand the locals enough to know the right questions to ask, and how to ask them. That could mean being able to see through superstitions, making friends by treating the sick and injured, or just knowing what symptoms to watch for in the people we meet."

"I see..." The staff sergeant nodded before walking back to the Coyote. Once more the civilian and given him something to think about. The man was definately more than just a random body thrown into a job.


	5. Riverside Drive

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 5

The speed restriction on the team was frustrating, but not unbarable. It was only a few hours after the team had split from the rest of the squad that Staff Sergeant Yamada brought the Coyote to a stop at the bank of a river. Because they were an expeditionary team they had been provided with survival equipment, including fishing gear. Hito looked at the river that was maybe fifteen meters wide and allowed himself to daydream about catching something for dinner while the team took a break to stretch their legs.

It wasn't that the trip was physically demanding, but it still had a way of wearing people out. Yuji and Goro swapped seats in the truck, taking turns driving. Cho sent a quick update before ducking behind the Mule's trailer to relieve herself. The civilian of the team hauled out one of his gadgets in short order. It looked like a length of pipe with a set of double roater blades at one end and a ball on the other. He moved a safe distance from the river before pushing a button that activated the roaters. The contraption buzzed as it flew straight up. It came down a minue later, right to its owner's hands.

"Flying camera?" The staff sergeant guessed.

"Yes," Mark confirmed. "We don't have a lot of detailed information for this area. The things our maps show are accurate, as far as they go, but it's the small details that we really want to be aware of." He returned to the Coyote and his computer and started punching keys. "That and the information we filled in from what the local maps and people gave us could use some confirnation."

"True, true," Hito nodded. He walked off a way to stretch his legs and to find a private spot to relieve himself. He wanted to give his civilian a chance to do his thing before he decided on the next course of action.

X

"So what do you think of this area?" Corporal Mori asked as he settled into the Mule's driver's seat. "It is almost completely empty, and mostly flat. It would be a good place for farming."

"I am not a farmer, so I wouldn't know," Private First Class Ueda answered. "But this close to a river, if it was good for farming, don't you think there would already be farmers in the area?"

"Good point," The corporal nodded with a small frown. He scanned around, looking out the windows of the truck. "I guess there's a reason for this area to be empty."

"The area around Alnus Hill was empty," Ueda Goro pointed out. "They've told us the hill was supposed to be some kind of holy site, but I think the absence of easy water was also a part of it. The base had to put in a pretty deep well. I don't think anybody digging by hand could have done it."

"Then again," Yuji pointed out. "There is just not than many people."

"Yesss..." Goro said slowly. "I've been trying not to think about that too much. The open space, the lack of people... I'm used everything being busy, so it is kind of creepy."

The corporal just nodded his head in agreement.

X

Hito and Cho traded respectful nods as they passed each other beside the Mule. There was a blind spot between the Mule and it's linked trailer, and a lesser one between the two trailers, useful for a quick answer to mother nature, without being exposed to the rest of the team. This was more useful for Cho, because she was the only female on the team. The men, out of respect for her, also used some discretion when relieving themselves.

PFC Sato Cho counted herself lucky for being being chosen to deploy to the 'Special Area.' She was willing to admit that joining the JSDF had been a bit of rebellion against her family, but if she was willing to put on the uniform, for whatever reason, than it was only fair that her government should take her commitment seriously.

Being a communications technician, Cho had expected her deployment through the gate to mean being turned into a glorified operator. She thought for sure she would be stuck in a radio room at Alnus Hill connecting calls and relaying messages. Being the member of a field team had just been wishful thinking, or so she had thought. As a part of an exploration team there was a chance for her to see and do things that would have been impossible any other way.

X

"Did you find anything?" The staff sergeant asked as he returned to the Coyote.

"Found a settlement to the south," Mark answered. "Not a big one, but the first one since Waypoint-3."

"Can we get there before nightfall?" Hito questioned. It wasn't really a concern. With anything less than a full sized town it was unlikely to have anything better to offer than the team's own modern tents and cots for the night.

"We can be there in about thirty minutes," Mark nodded. "It's open plane and farm land so we won't be a total surprise for whomever lives there. They'll literally see us a mile away; or more."

"Alright," The staff sergeant looked around and gave a whistle to make sure he had everybody's attention.

"Listen up," He called out in his Sergeant's voice. "We are going to make contact with some unknowns. I want everybody to check their weapons and put on their tactical gear."

"Awww..." A protesting voice came from the Mule.

"Don't give me that shit." He returned. "We've had a comfortable start in known territory, but that's no excuse for taking stupid chances. So everybody gear up."

Everybody had to move around and do some unpacking. In hind sight they should have been in full tactical gear since leaving Waypoint-3. But full gear is heavy and uncomfortable after a while, so they had all been willing to postpone putting it on.

Just like everything else, the civilian on their team had equipment to match what had been issued to the JSDF, but of a lightly different quality and style. The staff sergeant did a mental comparison as he geared up, watching the research specialist do the same. His usual camouflage was old school woodland greens and browns, and not the new digital patterns. His body armor had a different cut to it, and was not set up in the same way for attaching accessories. His kevlar helmet had a lobster tail and some digital optics and recording equipment mounted to it.

Everybody in the team was armed. The staff sergeant, Corporal Mori, and PFC Sato had compact M4 rifles. The staff sergeant also had an M9 pistol. PFC Ueda, the only actual infantryman on the team, had a new, modern m16A4 with a grenade launcher. Of course after the whole dragon incident, no team was sent out to the field without an anti-armor rocket launcher. Mr. Wright, the research specialist had a automatic pistol he carried in a cross draw "tanker's holster," instead of on his hip or thigh. What really gave the staff sergeant pause was that the man also had a pair of heavy machetes on his back.

"What are those for?" Hito asked as Mark resumed his seat in the Coyote.

"Chopping brush and close quarters fighting," Mark answered. "They don't run out of ammunition and can be used inside a building."

"Don't you think you're being a little over prepared?" Staff Sergeant Yamada questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"You have a bayonet you can attach to your rifle," The research specialist pointed out. He then shot the other man a smirk. "And there is no such thing as over prepared."

"I guess that's true," The staff sergeant conceded. He looked around at the rest of the team.

"Are we ready?" Staff Sergeant Yamada called out.

"We're good," Yuji called out from the Mule.

"Good to go," Cho said as she climbed into the Coyote.

Hito hopped into the driver's seat once more. He settled into place even as he went through the motions of starting the engine. In moments the team was in motion. He snapped his chinstrap into place then put the Coyote into gear.

xXx

There is safety in numbers. This is an old rule that has withstood the test of time. It was the reason animals gathered in herds and packs, and it was the reason people built communities. On an alien world known as the 'Special Area,' this continued to be true.

The gathering of buildings the team had come across was too small of a settlement to be considered a village. There were three barns, a dozen small houses, and a common hall all built on a low rise. The rise gave the settlement a view of the river and the surrounding landscape. It also elevated the homes above any historically known flood levels. The road the exploration team was following was between the rise and the river.

It was clear that the preferred building material for the area was river rock. Not only were the walls of the houses made of the water worn tones, so to were the walls of common hall and the lower third of the barns. It was a clear sign that the settlement had been around for a long time. There was a low wall that went around three quarters of the settlement. The road where it passed by was also lined and paved with stone. There was even a stone quay along the river.

The settlement was at a potential very strategic location. The use of so much stone may have even been by the decree of some past lord with the though of being able to use it as a garrison post in an emergency. Of course for there to be a garrison there would have to be a fighting force greater than farm wives and children, which were all Staff Sergeant Yamada could see as he drove slowly towards the settlement.

"Do you see any soldiers?" Hito asked his civilian without taking his eyes off what lay ahead. Mark's job was to be observant after all, and he was free to use binoculars since he wasn't driving.

"Depends on how you want to count it," Came the reply. "I don't see uniforms or armor, but I can see them holding slings."

"What? Like for a broken arm?" Cho questioned from the back seat.

"No," Mark shook his head. "For hurling stones or bullets. They can be used in hunting, or for ranged attacks."

"The story of David and Goliath," The staff sergeant nodded. "What's the range on those?"

"In a volley, about three or four hundred meters, depending on what they are using for ammunition. Selective targeting..." Mark shrugged. "A hundred meters or less."

"So we are already in range then," Staff Sergeant Yamada observed, suddenly glad he had his helmet on.


	6. Food for Thought

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 6

The actual arrival at the settlement, while tense, went smoothly. Fortunately the 3rd Recon Team had made a good impression, and word of their actions, and of the Arunusu Living Community had gotten around. The people of the settlement were able to tell that the horseless wagons approaching could only belong to the foreign strangers.

The staff sergeant drove up to the edge of the settlement slowly, in low gear, where he stopped. Putting the Coyote in the parking gear, he got out in a deliberate and unhurried manner. He did not want to appear like he was attacking in any way. Even as he got a close look at the people of the settlement, he gave a modest bow and spoke to them in the local language.

"We mean you no harm," Staff Sergeant Yamada said as clearly as he could. "We are only passing by as we seek to learn of your world."

The people of the settlement were short. Hito guessed their height to be a just shy of a meter

and a half. They had dark brown hair, tan skins, and wide, tilted eyes. Their ears were long and pointed in the way of elves. Their clothing was of lose tunics and kilts of different lengths. The normal human curves made some of them obviously women. The only obvious man among them was easily identified by his thin gray whiskers.

"You are the People in Green?" The old man questioned.

"We are some of them," The staff sergeant nodded.

"Then we welcome you," The old man bowed his head.

"Thank you," Staff Sergeant Yamada bowed in return.

At the old man's direction the vehicles were moved to a space that was between a pair of barns that could double as a corral. The staff sergeant declared an early end to the travel day. Cho radioed in their location and Status while Yuki and Goro geared down. After removing his tactical gear, Hito dug into the Mule's trailer for a case of items that the team's civilian had called Public Relations Candy.

The P.R. Candy was pretty much what Mark had called it. It was a collection of things intended to be given out to help strengthen the locals' interest conducting business with representatives from Japan. If the team found anything significant to the south-west, the settlement would be a good location for another waypoint station. If that was ever going to be an option, then the JSDF wanted the people there to believe that they would benefit from such an arrangement.

In this instance the staff sergeant chose what to break out based on his observations of the settlement. It was clear that the people were mostly farmers, because of the fields, but there were buildings for livestock as well. He couldn't imagine that the 'Special Area' had large livestock drives, like the cattle drives famous in old Western movies. But at the same time there were no livestock in sight. Either they had hurried to remove or hide the livestock, afraid that it might be stolen, or that someone had already done just that. There was no missing the lack of men in the settlement, which also suggested that something had gone badly for the people there.

Staff Sergeant Yamada pulled out two large packages of seasoned, precooked beef, a carton of iodized salt, and a bag of fruit candies. The beef could be used to help feed a large group, and to show the locals that the outsiders in green were not going to be coming around raiding for livestock. Not much point when they could bring food with them with minimal effort. Salt was useful for cooking and preserving food, and was even essential for life. In some early societies it was so valuable as to be used as currency. The candy, of course, was for the children most of all, but some rare treats were likely to encourage the few adults to think kindly of their visitors.

Aside from food stuffs, there was an assortment of small luxury goods among the P.R. Candy. Things like silk scarves, nylon stockings, cosmetic kits, and some well made short swords would be best used when dealing with minor nobles or government officers. For an isolated settlement food would be a higher priority. Until his civilian mentioned being a trauma nurse, Hito had wondered about the large case of medical supplies. It was clear that he would be expected to use his skills not only for the team, but for any potential allies as well.

With his choices made, Hito secured the case and went to speak the the old man that had greeted the team. While not as exciting or significant as meeting royalty, he felt that building friendly relations with the settlement was going to be rewarding in its own way. It would, Hito suspected, also be a lot less stressful.

"Your pardon, Sir," Hito said as he approached the elder. "I was wondering with whom I could talk to about helping to prepare the evening meal?"

"M'lord," The elder bowed. "We shall arrange everything as your hosts for tonight."

"Please," The staff sergeant shook his head. "I am not a lord, or even an officer. My title is Staff Sergeant, and my name is Yamada Hito. Less formally, I am addressed as Sergeant Yamada."

"Staff Sergeant Yamada Hito," The old man spoke slowly. "You do me much honor. I am called Agrico. I am but an old farmer."

"Elder Agrico," Hito bowed his head a little. "I thank you and your people for hosting us tonight. In appreciation,we would like to share our meat with you." He indicated the brown plastic packages he was holding. "We have plenty of food for our journey, and it would not be right to accept your hospitality without sharing something in return."

The staff sergeant saw something in the elder's expression change. He wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he thought he saw the small old man relax a little. He suspected that the settlement existed because the people knew how to be polite to the kinds of troops that usually moved through the area, but those same troops were probably not so polite in return.

"Please follow me," The elder started towards the common building. "I will introduce you to the women that will be cooking for us tonight."

Staff Sergeant Yamada learned that the common building was just a barn-like hall that had a pair of fire pits for heating and cooking. The hall was used to house the few merchants, or passing troops, that passed by the settlement. The cooking that was already in progress at one of the fire pits was in the hands of a pair of women standing watch over a cauldron of already steaming water. The women had a sack of grain, a small bundle of dried herbs, and a trio of dried fish. While some kind of fish stew would have been a decent meal, Hito was glad he was able to get to the women before they committed any of their ingredients to the menu for the evening.

"Thank you for your efforts," The staff sergeant said as he was lead over to the small women. Now that he was in an enclosed space with the locals he felt like a giant. To keep from being intimidating, and to make things easier for himself, he took a knee beside the fire pit and set down his packages. "I do not want our visit to be a burden on you and your families, so I brought some things to share."

The staff sergeant had been briefed about how to reduce some of the culture shock when dealing with the inhabitants of the 'Special Area.' While he had his doubts about some of the things he had been told, he had to agree that doing things in stages would probably be for the best. For this reason he started with what he thought the locals would recognize the value of. He selected the round carton of salt from the things he had just set down. He pulled off the protective tab and opened the spout.

"This is salt," Hito said and offered it to the closest woman. "I know you will not need so much for a single meal. Feel free to keep it and share it among yourselves in thanks for your efforts."

The staff sergeant could see the woman's eyes widen as she processed what he had said. She could feel how heavy the carton was. From what had been learned from the Arunusu living community's shopping habits, Hito knew he had just given away enough salt to be worth enough silver to feed a small family for four months or more.

"If I may borrow your knife," Hito asked as he reached for the first package of beef. He had a knife on his belt, but felt that it would be best not to reach for it until he had built up some good will and trust first. "This is a sample of some of our own food... thank you," he accepted the offered knife handle. He very carefully cut open the top of the package so the contents were visible before handing the knife back.

"This is beef that has already been seasoned and cooked," The staff sergeant explained. "Because it has been cooked and sealed in its package it can be stored for a long time and safely carried with us. It can even be eaten safely right now, but I think it would taste better heated." He held the package out to the other woman at the fire pit.

The woman accepted the package a little awkwardly, fearful of spilling it. Both women took a moment to look into the package and to take a sniff of the contents. It was enough beef to serve ten healthy portions, as a part of a balanced meal. To the small women it was a feast's worth of meat.

"Here is another package of beef," The staff sergeant lifted the offering from the ground. "Please use this all to make an evening meal we can all share together."

The old man and the two women looked with wide eyes at the stranger, surprised with his generosity.


	7. Rock Soup

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 7

"This reminds me of the 'Rock Soup' story," Mark said between spoonfuls of stew.

"What's that?" Corporal Mori questioned from across the table from the civilian researcher.

The exploration team and the settlement's resident were all crowded into the common building for an evening meal that bordered on being a celebration. The dried fish had been set aside in favor of using the visitors' offered beef. The grain that would have been used to make a porridge had also been returned to the larder. From somewhere vegetables had been brought out along with crusty bread rolls. A couple jugs of wine had also been brought out and were being passed around.

The long benches of the common building were not enough for everybody to be seated so some additional stools and chairs had been scrounged up. The civilian and the corporal were seated on opposite sides of the long table that was in the center of the common building enjoying the food and atmosphere. Around them people were talking about the food as they ate.

"The story of 'Rock Soup' is about a troop of soldiers on the march," Mark explained. "They were in their own lands, but when they entered a village the people there were worried that the soldiers would take all their food, so they hid it. They told the troops' commander that all of their food had been stolen by bandits and that they had none left. Because the troops were under orders, and in their own nation, the village was supposed to feed them. It had been planned out as a part of their line of march, The captain had money to pay for food so the troops were not carrying rations. But now the food they were expecting wasn't available."

"What did they do?" The corporal asked.

"The captain knew that the villagers were fearful of the soldiers, but he didn't want to call them liars. So he told his men to set up a cook fire and asked one the villagers if they could borrow their biggest pot," Mark told the story. "The captain just gave orders like there were no problems. The men set up the cook fire. He had one of his men draw water from the well to fill the pot while the rest set camp for the night."

"Then the captain walked around the village, looking around without entering any of the homes," Mark continued. "Finally he picked up a couple of rocks from the edge of the village. He brought them back to the cook fire and washed them while examining them carefully. Finally he licked them and gave a satisfied nod."

"He gave the order to light the cook fire. 'These will be perfect. Boil the water,' the captain ordered," Mark added inflections to his voice as he told the story. "Of course the villagers had been watching the whole time. One of them finally asked the captain what he was doing. 'I am going to make Rock Soup,' the captain answered. 'You can not make soup from rocks,' the villager protested. 'Nonesense,' said the captain. 'These are fine soup rocks.' The captain added the rocks to the pot on the fire. 'A part of being a soldier is learning to find food. Everybody eats plants. Plants come from the ground. Dirt is just little pieces of rock. We are just skipping a couple of steps,' the captain explained."

Mark was into the story he was telling. He was changing his voice match the characters of the story as he was telling it. He was adding hand gestures and adjusting his posture to help carry the imagery. As he continued he had drawn the attention of the others, welcoming the entertainment of a good story.

"Soon the water in the pot was simmering," Mark went on, aware of his audience watching him. "The captain took a look around and paused. 'May I borrow a ladle?' he asked. 'A ladle?' the closest villager asked. 'I need to taste the soup,' the captain answered. He leaned in and sniffed at the pot. 'If I am going to make Rock Soup I want to do it right.' Well that made some sense after all, so one of the villagers hurried home and fetched a ladle for the captain. When it was brought to him he thanked the villager politely then turned and dipped it into the pot." Mark made a show of pretending to dip a ladle and take a sip from it, adding a slurping sound.

"'Hmmmm,' the captain frowned," Mark continued. "The captain considered the soup. 'It will do, but it is rather bland.' He reached into his pouch and pulled out a pair of copper coins and tossed them into the pot. 'Here now,' a villager protested. 'Why are you throwing money into the pot?' The captain turned to the man. 'The soup needs a little seasoning,' he said as if it was obvious. 'I would use herbs if I had them,' he pulled out another pair of coppers. 'I would buy herbs if they were to be had, but they are not, so I will just use the coin. I'm skipping a step, but being a soldier is about being efficient after all.' He moved as if he was going to throw more coins into the pot. 'Wait,' the villager protested. He didn't want to see the money go to waste. 'Maybe I can find a few pinches of something to trade you for your coppers,' the villager offered. 'Why Should I trade?' the captain asked. 'I have the coins here.' The villager had to think fast. 'Well you can use the coins, but maybe some herbs would taste better.' The captain paused to consider the offer. 'Perhaps,' he nodded slowly. 'But I have plenty of coppers, and you have told us how your village has so little.' He started to move the coppers towards the pot once more. 'A moment,' the villager pleaded before hurrying off."

"It was only a short time before the villager returned at a run," Mark told with a smile. "Of course the other villagers had seen him and wanted to know what was happening. 'I have this,' the villager returned with a branch of dried herb. It was a common herb, and a single branch would bring nothing at market. 'Hmmm,' the captain considered. 'Alright then,' the captain decided. 'Put it in the pot and I'll give you the copper I don't need for seasoning.' The villager smiled brightly and accepted the deal." Mark looked around his audience with a grin. "Of course the other villagers saw their fellow get paid a small copper for just a bit of herb. They couldn't help but wonder what else the captain might be willing to give up a little coin for."

"The captain let the herb simmer in the pot before taking another taste of the soup," Mark continued, with gestures and sound effects. "The captain looked into the ladle. 'Hmmmm. It could use some salt,' the captain observed. Soon a villager came hurrying up with a small bowl of salt. 'Yes,' the captain nodded. 'Just so.' He took a generous pinch of salt from the bowl to add to the soup. After another sip he added another large pinch of salt before giving a copper to the pleased villager."

"And so it went," Mark went on. "The captain would take a sip and frown. 'It is too bad there are no carrots to add some color.' One by one, the captain would mention an ingredient. A sip, a frown, and another missing something would be named. One by one a villager would produce something to add to the pot for a coin or two. Soon the pot was filled with a simmering stew. 'Because your food was taken by bandits,' the captain said to the villagers. 'Let us share our Rock Soup with you. Bring another pot,' he instructed.

"A villager ran to obey," Mark pumped his arms where he sat, pantomiming someone running. "The pot was brought over and the captain ladled one of the rocks into the new pot, adding several ladles full of the stew as well. 'hmmm, that doesn't look like much,' He frowned at the two pots. 'We better add some more water...' Of course now the stew was too thin, but the captain had things well in hand. He asked for some rocks to be brought over. He inspected the offering and ordered two to be washed to be added to the pots. He called for the salt bowl again, telling the villager to add a pinch to each pot."

"The captain went on giving small instructions," Mark explained. "One after another. The villagers moved to do as they were told. They didn't even realize what was happening. Soon there were three, then four large pots of stew simmering on the fire. The people had lost their fear of the soldiers and were following instructions from the captain. As night fell, the villagers and the soldiers were able to relax, with their stomachs full of stew. And all it had taken was patience, courtesy, and a hand full of coppers."

"And that's the story of 'Rock Soup,'" Mark said with a grin to the corporal across the table from him before turning his attention back to his own bowl of stew.

A small round of applause came from the gathering. The telling of stories was an old and simple form of entertainment, but sometimes it could be hard to find a fresh story, or a good story teller. Mark saw how well he had caught everybody's attention and knew he had an audience that would be eager for another story as soon as he was ready to tell it.


	8. Settling Inn

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 8

Once the evening meal was winding down Staff Sergeant Yamada broke out the bag of candy. A part of him knew it was a cruel thing do. The children would be getting a sugar rush that would likely make them difficult to get them ready for their beds. It was a strategic decision though. He wanted to get more information about the local region, and the lands further to the south. The adults watching over hyper children were likely to not think about what maybe shouldn't be shared quite so much.

"I am curious, Elder Agrico," The staff sergeant heard his civilian talking openly with the old man. "Who is the the healer or midwife for you people?"

"That would be Mother Ruu," The old man answered. "My sister had a way with animals as a child, so she apprenticed with old Mother Lelow down river at Tor's Landing." He gave a laugh. "Ha. Listen to me go on. As if such names meant anything to you."

"Names always have meanings," Mark said pleasantly. "If don't know what it is, then we just don't have an understanding of the placement of it."

"Spoken like a true story teller," Agrico nodded with another laugh. "But tell me, why do you ask for a healer?"

"Professional curiosity," Mark replied. "I make a study of the treatment of injuries and illness."

"A scholar are you?" The old man's eyes went wide. "Traveling as a soldier? What interesting times we live in."

"Interesting indeed," Mark agreed. "If you will excuse me." He gave a seated bow to the old men before getting up from the table and moving away.

"You have a pleasant home here," Staff Sergeant Yamada said to the old man before any distractions could arise.

"It is nice of you to say so," Agrico nodded.

"If you don't mind me asking," Hito went on. "But I cannot help but wonder what has happened to this place. We didn't see any livestock today, and there are almost no men here."

"Ahh yes," The old man sighed. "You have sharp eyes. The Grand Duke in Est Port levied our men when the emperor summoned the armies. Most of the livestock went with them, to help feed the army of course."

"I am sorry for your loss," Staff Sergeant Yamada said earnestly.

Hundreds of thousands of troops had died because the emperor had chosen to strike through the gate at Japan. First had been the invaders. Then there had been the attempts to retake Alnus Hill. Just like medieval armies back on Earth, most of the fighters had been peasants, drafted or conscripted, commanded by lords and trained up quickly by the career soldiers.

It was one of the reasons why wars of a few hundred years ago lasted so long. The armies were only free to fight when it wasn't the right seasons for planting or harvesting. The troops had to be mustered after the planting in spring, moved to the battle fields, and then returned home in time for the late summer harvesting. Only the career soldiers were available all year round, and it was expensive to keep a standing army. The men called up, levied, because they were not career soldiers, did not have the best equipment or training. Because they were not the career soldiers that spent their time preparing for battle, the peasants suffered the greatest number of casualties.

The staff sergeant couldn't help but feel some of the responsibility for the settlement's predicament. While he had not been among the defenders of Alnus hill, it was likely that the men missing from the settlement had died there, under the guns of the Japanese defending the gate. The settlement had been endangered because of the greed of a throne that did nothing for them, and the ambitions of career politicians that would only care if there was something for them to gain by it.

"I thank you for your kind words," Agrico said in a tired voice. "But it is always the rule. The common man must suffer the will of the mighty. And here, as in many lands, the mighty are humans that think nothing of the rest of us that they rule over."

x

The following morning, Exploration Team C-3-2 rolled out of the settlement. Several children chased after the vehicles, but were forced to give up in short order. Before leaving the settlement Cho had raised the base on the radio and Staff Sergeant Yamada gave a comprehensive report. He suspected that the people in charge would find something useful in knowing how some areas were likely suffering following the raising of levies by the emperor.

The radio report would help fill in details about the world of the 'Special Area.' The settlement's location was reported, along with the status of its inhabitants. Lacking any other designation, at Mark's suggestion, the short people of the settlement were cataloged under the race of 'halfling.' They had enough elf-like features to differentiate them from humans, but were very human in their ways of living and acting.

The staff sergeant decided that they would follow the river down to the town called Tor's Landing. It was a port town, so there was bound to be a lot of information to be found there, but it was not a capitol city like Est Port. Their mission was to continue down the southern peninsula, and Tor's landing was on their way, more or less.

It was just shy of two hundred kilometers from the river side settlement to Tor's Landing. For the indigenous people that would have meant taking a week to reach their destination. For the exploration team, it would a day and a half. One day beyond the settlement, a road from the west joined with the one the team was following. Where the two came together an enterprising man had build up an inn.

Setta's Inn had been built without a clear design. The common room was large enough for a hundred people to be served with room to spare. Above it were the apartments of the inn's owner and their family. Long wings extended from the common room, with bends in them where they had been extended over time. Above the larger bunk rooms and the smaller private rooms were loft rooms used by the staff. The crooked wings nearly encircled an area that was now a stable yard.

The inn was a place for merchants to stop over coming to and from Tor's landing. The traffic passing by on the two roads made sure there would always be customers. When the team approached the inn in the late afternoon, they were ready to be the center of attention.

In full tactical gear, the team rolled up to the inn in low gear. The light armor was in place on the vehicles, to help keep the team members safe, and to make it easier to keep the vehicles and their cargo secure. It was already decided that someone would have to be on watch at all times.

As soon as someone at the inn got a good look at the Coyote and the Mule approaching, word spread. A crowd was gathering outside the inn as the team rolled to a stop. Merchants, caravan guards, and inn staffers all gawked at the horseless wagons that rumbled like thunder from within. The innkeeper had stepped outside to see what the commotion was about. Seeing the strangers he knew right away that they could be important. And by important, he meant that they could be good for business.

The innkeeper pushed his way through the crowed to get to the strangers. As much as he wanted to gawk at their wagons he had to take care of business first. The first order of business was getting all the people in front of the inn to go inside the inn. Nobody would be spending their money gawking out at the side of the road.

"Welcome far travelers to Setta's Inn," The innkeeper called out in a loud and merry voice. "Please be welcome here and refresh yourselves with the comforts we have to offer."

"Thank you for your warm greeting," Staff Sergeant Yamada called back cheerfully as he climbed out of the Coyote. "You inn is a welcome site after a day on the road."

"Well now that you have arrived, follow me with your wondrous wagons," The man beckoned. "I will personally show you to the stable yard where they may be safely kept during your visit here."

x

Once the vehicles were in the stable yard, with Corporal Yuji standing guard fully armed and carrying a radio, the rest of the team followed the welcoming innkeeper in to the common room. Because theft of customer property would be bad for business, the inn had some guards of its own. Though they were more often used as bouncers, the innkeeper sent two of them out to the yard to help keep an eye on things.

The common room was a large, roughly oval space. A bite was taken out of the floor space, nearly a quarter of it, at one end, opposite from the main entrance, in the form of a long, curved counter. Behind the counter was the kitchen. Half way between the counter and the entrance was a cold fire pit.

"Please, be welcome. My name is Josh. I and my staff will see to your every need and comfort," The innkeeper introduced himself as he encouraged the strangers to a large table near the center of the common room.

"We are glad for your hospitality, Innkeeper," Mark spoke up. He was standing tall, taller than the rest of the team, or any other human in the room. Somehow, in full tactical gear and armed up, he looked confident and comfortable as he strode over to the table and pulled out a chair. "I am Master Markus Wright." He sat with an air of authority and gestured to Hito. "Staff Sergeant Yamada will inform you of our needs. But for now, bring us cool water and bread."

"As you say, Good Master," Josh gave a bow and hurried to the kitchen.

"Be seated," Mark said with a gesture. "Let us relax."

"What are you doing?" The staff sergeant demanded in a hard whisper as he pulled out a chair and sat beside the civilian.

"Setting precedent," Mark answered in a low voice. "And playing to their expectations. We are the confident travelers that know our way in the world, and our importance above the common people. What we are not is a batch of tourists and easy marks."

"Why did you call yourself a master?" Cho asked as she settled into he seat on the other side of the researcher from her sergeant.

"Because I am a master," Mark gave her a smile. "I have a Master's degree and everything."

"But that doesn't count here," Hito insisted.

"It counts everywhere," Mark corrected. He leaned in, placing his elbows on the table. "What I just did was armor us in their social constructs. A master has political clout. If an inn were to let a master come to harm it would be shaming. If any place got a reputation of letting masters be victimized, word would get out and masters would avoid the place. Now image a town that had to do without its blacksmiths, coopers, carpenters, and all other master craftsman. Being a master of a craft is the next best thing to being some kind of lord, and that will help protect us from people that may think it worth the risk to see how much all of our fancy equipment is worth."


	9. Starting Clean

Gate : Thus The World Was Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Manga. I'm just taking a few coins from the creators fountain of ideas, and throwing in some stones for the fun of it.

Chapter 9

The team gathered in the stable yard the following morning, once more in full tactical gear. All of the equipment was given a careful inspection. The vehicles tanks were topped off with lamp oil added to their diesel fuel. And after a full preventive maintenance inspection of both vehicles and the trailers, the team gathered to discus their plans.

"You get the final say," Mark said as he looked over the map. "But after talking with the locals last night, I think we should skip going into Tor's Landing. There's really nothing for us to gain from it."

"Yes," Staff Sergeant Yamada agreed with a nod. "I did some asking around too..." he paused to let out a yawn. "The place down river is a fishing and trading town. While there could be some good information to be found, we won't find any real resources there. We'll go west for a few hours and coordinate with Alnus Hill for a supply drop." He looked around at his team to see if anybody else wanted to add something. "Alright. Are we ready to go?"

"Just waiting on the laundry," Mark shrugged.

"You're funny," Hito responded in a flat voice.

"I'm serious," Mark told him.

"What?" The staff sergeant demanded.

"Who's?" The corporal asked.

"Everybody's," Mark explained. "We had access to the service, and it gave me an excuse to talk to some of the help here at the inn."

"Ehhhh!" The radio operator looked alarmed.

"Don't worry," Mark said in a calm voice. "The women are hand washing everything and even pressing it with a flat iron. I had to take the time to show them how to press and fold things, so I could get them to relax around me and start chatting freely."

"And you didn't ask first, why?" The staff sergeant questioned in a tense voice.

"You, Sergeant, were sharing a pint with the innkeeper as you pumped each other for information. The PFC's were sleeping. The good Corporal was standing watch, and trying to ignore the girl that was flirting with him," Mark explained. "I did ask the corporal if he wanted his laundry done, because he was available."

"Besides," Mark went on. "I don't know how often we are going to have access to things like laundry service and hot baths, so I took advantage of the hygiene support while I could."

"Hot bath?" Cho challenged. "Where? All I had was a pitcher of water and a bowl in the room."

"Civilized people," Mark sighed and rolled his eyes. "You guys are stuck on two settings, 'modern living' and 'roughing it.' The Greeks and Romans liked their baths. A lord would obviously have some kind of bath available. The peasants have to do with less luxury, but did you ever think to ask? Did you just see the chamber pot and decide that since there was no plumbing there were no baths?"

"I am not happy with your tone," The staff sergeant warned.

"You're right," Mark held up his hands. "I should have spent some time teaching you about the cultures we are bumping into. I am sorry for not thinking about blind spots in our thinking. That's a blind spot of my own often enough."

"But you are saying there is a bath here?" Cho pressed for the information she wanted.

"Oh yes," Mark nodded with a smile. "This inn is the only place to stop in the area. For people heading north from Tor's landing, this is the last bit of civilization for probably a week or more. And for people heading towards the port, this is a chance to clean up before getting to town."

"So we can take a real bath here?" Cho was almost pleading. She turned to her sergeant. "Staff Sergeant?"

"I understand," Hito sighed. "If we're not going into town I guess we should take advantage of the bath while we can."

"Please," Mark said with a flat voice and expression.

"So how do we go about this?" Hito questioned his wise-ass civilian.

"I'll take care of everything," Mark said with a small smirk as he turned and started walking away.

X

Cho soaked in the wood bath tub with a happy sigh. The staff of the inn had been very willing to accommodate the Japanese woman's wishes. They had heated the water and filled the tub fresh for her. Once she had undressed, an attendant had taken her clothes to be washed. Cho hardly had to do a thing after that.

The inn's staff scrubbed her down from top to bottom. The soap was a little harsh, and they used the same soap on her hair as they did her skin, but they had been diligent. Once they had rinsed her off, they went back and scrubbed her down a second time. When the scrubbing was all done, and the soap rinsed away, it had been time for a soak.

The tub was a deep oval with a false bottom. Under the boards that Cho rested on there was a space filled with water. In that space was a wide 'U' shaped copper tube that passed in and out of the tub at the back of the tub. The ends of the tube went out through the wall of the bathing room to a primitive boiler, making sure the water stayed hot.

Once she was clean and refreshed, Cho got out of the bath. She was then treated to a thorough drying with course towels. She couldn't help but think of all the expensive products people spent money on to help scrub away dead skin in an attempt to look younger. As primitive as it was, PFC Sato could think of more than a few women that would envious of her at that moment.

The final touch had been a rub down of her body with a floral scented oil. It had not been a massage, just a quick treatment to keep the skin from feeling dry, and to help her smell good. The application was thin, and a last rubbing with a towel made sure she was not left feeling oily.

An attendant came in with her clothes, taken from the things that had been sent to be laundered the night before. Cho appreciated the thoroughness of the inn's staff. Not only was she clean and fresh, so to were the clothes she would be wearing following the bath. Once she was back in uniform, pleased to see that her boots had been polished as well, it was time for her to get back to work.

Out in the stable yard she assumed watch over the vehicles, weapons, and other gear. Staff Sergeant Yamada, and PFC Ueda were then free to get cleaned up. It wasn't that there was only one bath, or only one room. The staff sergeant didn't want to leave the civilian to guard things alone. Corporal Mori returned to the stable yard only a little ahead of Cho, looking clean and sharp. Standing beside the other, it was easy to tell who still had need of a bath.

Geared up and armed, PFC Sato was left standing watch with the civilian research specialist. She was filled with an awkward sense of tension. Because she road in the Coyote, Cho had overheard most of the conversations between Mr. Wright and the staff sergeant. She knew that the only reason the researcher was not in command of the team was because of his status as a civilian. He could easily be an officer, and that would have put him in command.

Cho frowned as she thought about the puzzle, not for the first time. The team, the whole mission, was a big political pile of maneuvering. It didn't seem likely that the same deep pockets that made the mission possible wouldn't want one of their own in charge, or at least in a position of authority where they could take charge if they had to.

She glanced over at Markus Wright. The civilian man acted and spoke with the confidence of someone she expected to be in charge of things. He had the education and the experience to qualify him as a leader. She just couldn't understand why he was so willing to just be researcher and extra hands for the mission, and not be in charge. It was a puzzle she just couldn't get past.

X

It was two hours later than planned, but the team finally got back on the road. Heading west, the plan was to stop in the mid afternoon and arrange for a supply drop. The supply drops were mostly pre-planned for the exploration teams, but were being adjusted to make sure nobody was being over supplied, or missing their drop because they were behind schedule. Team C-3-2, for example, still had plenty of rations, water, and ammunition, but fuel was not so easy to come by.

The standard supply drop would contain mostly fuel, for obvious reasons. Food, extra uniforms or other personal replacement gear, and P.R. Candy would be included in the shipments mostly as needed. There would also be an assortment of comfort goods. Any mail collected back at Alnus Hill for the team would also be added to the drop, for example.

Some day, it was hoped, there would be enough political support and modern infrastructure throughout the 'Special Area' that air drops wouldn't be needed. Until then, the small exploration teams and supply drops would be the tools of expanding Earth's reach across the alien world.

An hour west of the inn the team encountered a merchant's caravan that was headed east. The Durable Coyote and Mule eased off to the side of the road to make room for the caravan, and try to keep from spooking their horses. They also wanted to keep their distance in case there were any guards that would react in a negative way to the team's presence.

It was a testament to how slow the local traffic traveled that the team stopped for lunch at a place that appeared to have been recently used for an over night camp. The place was a wide, mostly flat space beside the road. The staff sergeant felt that it was probably a popular place for merchant, and other travelers, to camp for the night. It would be a comfortable day's trip to the inn.

Because the place would be easy to find from the air, he decided to call for the supply drop to his current location. He gave the order to PFC Sato to radio Alnus Hill. Because there would be a wait for the drop, he told everybody to take a rest while they could. Once the supplies arrived, they would all have to work hard and quick to get everything secured.


End file.
